Sunflower Pawpaw Tree

Sunflower Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) produces a flavor experience unlike anything else grown in American home orchards — large, 3–6 inch fruits with greenish-yellow skin, buttery creamy flesh, and a taste that’s genuinely reminiscent of banana custard with hints of vanilla and tropical fruit. The largest fruit native to North America, the pawpaw has been prized by Native Americans, early explorers, and devoted backyard foragers for centuries — but its perishability means it has never been commercially viable, and the only way to experience truly ripe pawpaws is to grow them yourself. Sunflower, developed at Kansas State University, is a reliable and productive named grafted selection that bears in just 2–3 years. Late September to early October ripening in Zones 4–8. A pollinator is required.

Banana Custard Flavor — Unlike Anything Else in the Home Orchard

There is genuinely no other fruit that tastes like a pawpaw. The creamy, buttery flesh with its banana-custard richness, vanilla undertones, and tropical sweetness creates a flavor experience that surprises and delights every first-time taster — and converts them into devoted growers. The few seeds in Sunflower’s fruit mean more edible flesh per pawpaw, and the large 3–6 inch size means each fruit is genuinely substantial. Eat fresh off the tree at peak ripeness, blend into smoothies and ice cream, or bake into custards and quick breads where the tropical character shines.

The Largest Native Fruit in North America — With a History

The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is native to the eastern United States, where it has been a valued food source for thousands of years. George Washington reportedly loved chilled pawpaws for dessert. Lewis and Clark relied on them when food was scarce on the expedition. The reason most people have never tasted one is simple: pawpaws ripen quickly and don’t ship commercially. Growing your own is the only reliable path to experiencing this remarkable fruit.

Grafted, Bears in 2–3 Years — Kansas State University

Sunflower was developed at Kansas State University and is available as a grafted tree — meaning consistent, named-variety quality from the first harvest forward and bearing in just 2–3 years rather than the 5–7 year wait of seedling trees. Cold-hardy to Zone 4, tolerating partial shade to full sun, and naturally pest and disease resistant — pawpaws have very few enemies in the garden.

Why Growers Choose Sunflower Pawpaw

• Banana custard flavor — genuinely unlike any other fruit you can grow
• The largest native fruit in North America — 3–6 inch fruits with few seeds
• Only available tree-ripened from your own planting — can’t be bought commercially
• Kansas State University development — proven named grafted variety
• Bears in just 2–3 years — faster than most pawpaw varieties
• Cold-hardy, naturally pest-resistant — low-maintenance in Zones 4–8